Shoemaking-machine.



E. W. VARNEY. SHOEMAKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 15, 1912.

Patented June 1, 1915.

THE NORRIS PETERS 60.. FHOTOiITHO V/ASHINGTON. D. c.

.r en lana ninja.

EVERETT W. VARNEY, O1? NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 UNITED SHOEMACHINERY COMPANY, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION 0F NEW JERSEY.

SHOEMAKING-MACHINE.

Llldi 28 Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 1, M9115.

To all whom it mag/concern Be it known that l, EVERETT W. VARNEY, acitizen of the United States, residing at Newton, in the county ofMiddlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvementsin Shoemaking Machines, of which the following description, inconnection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, likereference char acters on the drawings indicating like parts in theseveral figures.

This invention relates to shoe making machines and is herein shown anddescribed, by way of exemplification merely, as embodied in a machinefor breasting heels. It is to be understood, however, that in itsbroader aspects the invention may be embodied in other machines of thisclass.

The operation of breasting the heels of boots and shoes consists inremoving the rough portion from the forward face of the heel, and isusually performed after the heel is attached to the shoe by a knifemoving from the tread face toward the shank, the movement of the knifebeing arrested by a suitably arranged stop when the shank is reached. Inmachines in which the knife is power driven, it has been diflicult todevise mechanism which would arrest the knife under all conditions so asnot to strike into the shank portion of the shoe and this has been foundespecially hard to accom plish in machines for breasting the heels ofshoes while still upon the last, as commercial lasts vary considerablyin height and consequently either the stroke of the knife must bechanged with each variation in the height of the last or else the shoemust be jacked each time to bring the shank to a predetermined height,that is, to the lower limit of the knife stroke, supposing the knife toreciprocate vertically. There is considerable variation also in thethickness of the shank portion of the sole in different shoes, so thateven if the lasts were of the same height a knife adjusted to cut to theshank of one shoe would cut into the shank of another shoe having athicker shank portion. It is usual to clamp and position shoesrelatively to the breasting knife by bringing a presser plate intocontact with the tread face of the heel, but in the ordinaryconstruction the presser plate cannot conveniently be used as a stop fordetermining the vertical position of the shoe relatively to the knife asthe vertical position of the plate must vary with each different heightof heel, there being more or less variation even in heels nominally ofthe same height.

It is an object of the present invention to provide means which willautomatically so position the shoe irrespectively of the height of theheel, of the thickness of the shank portion of the sole or of heightvariations in the last that the shoe will be properly located relativelyto a knife having a fixed lower limit and the knife will breast the heelwithout cutting the shank.

It is a further object of this invention to provide means for clampingand positioning a shoe irrespectively of the characteristics of theindividual shoe or last, so that the shoe will be clamped with the shankat a fixed point.

An important feature of the invention is embodied in means fordetermining the upper limit of movement of the presser plate inaccordance with the height of the heel being breasted. As embodiedherein, this feature of the invention comprises means for measuring theheel and means set by the measuring means for determining the extent towhich the shoe may be moved when positioning it in proper relation tothe knife for the heel to be breasted. The measuring means preferablycomprises a presser plate for engaging the tread face of the heel, astop member which engages the shank of a shoe at a point near the heeland connecting mechanism between the stop and the presser plate wherebythe relative movement between these two elements is made to fiX orpredetermine the limit to which the stop and plate may be moved togetherwhen the shoeis pressed against them. In the embodiment shown, the meansfor determining the upper limit of the presser plate movement comprisesa cam or wedge-shaped member, the operative edge of which may be toothedor stepped, if desired, which is moved only when the stop and plate aremoved relatively, such relative movement determining the portion of thecam or wedge which shall contact with the portion of the presser platecarrier and thereby limit its movement. This mechanism provides anabutment for the tread plate that is adjusted with the movement of theplate until the shoe reaches a predetermined relation to said limit ofknife stroke and is then automatically brought to rest and held whilethe tread plate continues its movement into position to be arrested bythe abutment.

As a further feature of the invention the presser plate is, in theembodiment shown, resiliently depressed and the shoe is placed upon theshoe support and elevated thereby into contact with the presser plate,Whereupon the presser plate is also raised with the shoe against theaction of the means for normally depressing it. As the shoe and presserplate move upwardly, a stop contacts with the shoe, whereupon both thepresser plate and stop move upwardly until they are arrested in aposition determined by the relative position of the presser plate andthe stop, which position is always such that the face of the shank is ata certain. predetermined vertical elevation, that being, in theembodiment shown, at the lower limit of the knife stroke.

As" another feature of the invention the presser tread plate and theshank stop or abutment are arranged on opposite sides of the knife sothat the clamping pressure eX- erted by upward movement of the shoesupport is balanced or distributed upon different portions of the shoeon opposite sides of the knife. As the last pin of the jack is locatedunder the presser plate and is sup ported rigidly by an abutment, theclamping effect exerted upon the heel portion of the shoe is in excessof that upon the shank portion. Furthermore the clamping of the heeltakes place always against the tension of the spring which normallydepresses the tread plate and further increases the pressure upon theheel portion of the shoe. By holding the shoe firmly upon both sides ofthe knife the action thereof is rendered sure and positive and cuttingof the shank of the sole is eliminated.

It is a notable feature of the invention also that the knife ismaintained in unchanged relation to its actuating mechanism so that itsstroke is positive and unvarying as distinguished from machines in whichthe knife is disconnected from its actuating mechanism, or has itsmovement otherwise limited, in accordance with the position of the shoeshank.

The figure of the drawing is a side elevation of a machine embodying theinvention.

As illustrated, the machine embodying the present invention is shown inconnection with a jack of the type described and claimed in anapplication for United States Letters Patent Serial No. 531,798. Thejack comprises a post 2 which is pivoted near the floor for movement inthe plane of the paper to enable shoes to be conveniently put on andremoved from the jack. A threaded rod 4 is mounted for free verticalmovement in the post 2 and has threaded thereon a pinion 6 which restsupon the top of the post 2 to which it is held by the clip 7. Anarcshaped rack 8 meshes with the pinion and is movable about a pivot atits center of curvature by a lever 10. It is obvious that movement ofthe lever 10 will, by rotating the pinion 6, raise and lower the jackupon the post 4, which comprises the heel pin 12 and the toe rest 14,and that the shoe will be rigidly upheld by the j aclr at all times.

- The usual frame 20 of the machine is provided with a superstructure 22(which may, however, be integral with the frame) clamped thereto bybolts 24 and 26. A presser guide plate 30 for engaging the tread face ofthe heel is mounted for the usual angular adjustment upon a slide 32arranged to slide vertically in a portion 34 of the machine frame. Theslide 32 has a forward extension 36 which is toothed to form a rack andto the upper portion of which a bracket 38 is attached. Between thebracket 38 and a pin 40 on the machine frame is stretched a spring 42which normally depresses the presser plate 30 toward the work. Toprevent excessive depression of the tread plate 30 a stop may beprovided, as, for example, the pin 33 in the slide 32, arranged tocontact with the frame 34 when the presser tread plate is depressed.hfeshin g with the abovementioned rack 36 is a pinion or connectingmember 44, the opposite edge of which similarly engages a rack 46 formedin one side of a stop carrier 48, which is normally held by gravity,with an adjusting collar 50 carried thereby resting upon the upper faceof a lug 52 on the built-up portion 22 of the machine frame throughwhich the carrier 48 passes. Another lug 54 is provided below the lug 52for further supporting the stop member 48 and guiding it for verticalmovement. The lower end of the stop member 48 is provided with anadjustable stop 56 adapted to contact with the shank of the shoe and anadjustable stop 58 is provided for limiting the upward movement of thestop carrier 48. The pinion 44 has no fixed axis and may, therefore, betermed a floating pinion. In order to retain the pinion 44 in place uponthe racks 36 and 46, flange plates 60 are secured to the opposite sidesof the pinion and serve to hold it in proper relation to the racks. Uponthe inner face of the pinion 44 is a pin or roller 61 which engages achannel 62 formed in a cam plate 64. The plate 64 is mounted to slidefreely transversely of the machine upon flanged studs 66 on the machineframe which engage slots 68 in the plate. The left-hand end (as shown)of the plate 64 is provided with an inclined or cam portion 70preferably provided with teetl. The upper end of the slide 32 is adaptedto engage the incline 70 of the plate 64 and, when the incline istoothed, is preferably provided with a differential pawl 72. It is to beunderstood, however, that the portion 70 may have any desired cam shape,either toothed or smooth, and that the slide 32 may engage the portionwithout the interposition of any pawl mechanism. The plate 64, it willbe seen, forms an abutment for the slide 32 and plate 30 to limit theirupward movement when the pawl 72 is permitted to engage the teeth 70.

In the operation of the machine the jack is swung forwardly about thepivot near the base of the machine and the thimble of the last carryingthe shoe is placed upon the pin 12 and the forepart of the shoepositioned against the toe rest 14. The shoe and jack are now swunginwardly to bring the heel of the shoe under the presser plate 30. Thehandle 10 of the jack is swung to the left, thereby raising the jack,the shoe and the presser plate resting upon the tread face of the heel.During this upward movement of the shoe, the heel is properly positionedby the operator relatively to the forward edge of the plate 30, theposition of which corresponds to that of the cut which will be made bythe knife. Having positioned the heel, the operator continues to raisethe shoe by the operation of the lever 10, movement thereby beingcommunicated from the plate 30 to the slide 82 and through the rack 36which it carries to the pinion 44,

causing the pinion to roll upon the rack 46 which, because of itsweight, remains stationary. The angular movement of the pinion a4 istransmitted through the pin 61 and channel 62 to the plate 64, which isthereby moved to the right as the presser plate is elevated, theinclined edge 7 0 of the plate 64 being, by this movement, kept just inadvance of the ascending pawl 7 2. When the shoe has been raised thefull height of the heel, the shank stop 56 contacts with the shank ofthe shoe. This is the position of the parts of the machine shown in thedrawing and it will be seen that upon further elevation of the shoe theshank stop and stop carrier 48 as well as the presser plate 30 will beraised by the shoe. Movement of the stop carrier 48 and its rack 41:6with the plate slide 32 and its rack 36 together will prevent furtherangular movement of the pinion 44, the pin 61 of which will merely slidein the vertical channel 62 until by such movement the pawl 72 is broughtinto engagement with the edge 70 of the plate 64:, which thus forms arigid stop or abutment for the presser tread plate 80. Preferably thestop 58 of the stop carrier t8 will be so adjusted as to simultaneouslycontact with the lug 54. The machine now provides two rigid abutments 30and 56 against which the shoe may be further clamped by continuedmovement of the lever 10., The shank en gaging face of the stop 56' isso adjusted as to be exactly in the plane of the knife when it hasreached the limit of its stroke, and

et hence when the knife is operated after the shoe has been clamped asdescribed it will cut to the shank and no farther. It will be seen thatthe shoe is positioned irrespectively of the height of the heel, thethickness of the shank, or variations in the height of the last and issecurely clamped against abutments on both sides of the knife andrigidly held in that position. It will also be clear that in the aboveconstruction the knife may remain in unchanged relation to its actuatorwhatever the characteristics of the shoe may be.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States is 1. I11 a machine of the classdescribed, the combination with a shoe support, and a cutting toolarranged to be reciprocated toward and from the shoe between fixedlimits, of clamping means arranged to be moved by pressure of the shoeand means for positively arresting said clamping means after a movementthereof which is determined automatically in accordance with acharacteristic of the shoe beingoperated upon.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a shoesupport and a breasting knife mounted for reciprocation toward and froma fixed limit of movement, of a movable presser tread plate againstwhich the shoe may be pressed and clamped by movement of the shoesupport, means for positively and directly arresting the presser plateafter a movement the extent of which is determined automatically by theheight of the heel being treated, and means for raising the shoe supportto clamp the shoe against the arresting means.

3. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a knife andmeans for actuating the same, of a presser plate and a stop both mountedfor movement in the same direction, connections between the presserplate and the stop permitting movement of the plate and the stopindependently and also together, and means for limiting movement of thetwo together.

4. A machine of the class described, having, in combination, areciprocating knife, a presser plate mounted for movement in the samedirection as the knife, an abutment for the plate, means operated bymovement of the presser plate for adjusting the abutment, and means forarresting the abutment when the shoe has assumed a predeterminedrelation to the limit of the knife stroke.

5. A machine of the class described. having, in combination, a shankengaging stop, a resiliently depressed member for engaging the treadface of the heel and movable independently of said stop, and meansrendered effective upon contact of the shoe with said stop for arrestingupward movement of said resiliently depressed member.

6. A machine of the class described having, in combination, two shoepositioning members normally held toward the work but movable fromnormal position by the work, and means for locking the one againstmovement as a result of the movement of theother.

7. A machine of the class described having, in combination, two shoepositioning members normally held toward the shoe but movable fromnormal position by the shoe, and means for arresting movement of bothsaid members as a result of pressure tending to move both together.

8. A machine of the class described, having, in combination, a knifehaving a fixed limit of cutting movement, means for engaging the treadface of the heel and movable with the shoe, and means operativelyconnected with the tread engaging means and acting irrespectively of theheight of the heel to arrest movement of said tread engaging means whenthe work is positioned.

9. A machine of the class described, having, in combinatiom operatingmeans, measuring means for determining a dimension of the heel, andmeans set by said measuring means for determining the extent of movementof the shoe toward said operating means.

10. A machine of the class described having, in combination, areciprocating knife, a presser plate and a stop normally held toward theshoe, and movable by pressure of the shoe thereagainst, and mechanismset by the one to arrest its movement as a result of movement of theother.

. 11. A heel breasting machine having, in combination, a breasting knifehaving a cutting stroke to a fixed limit of movement toward which theshoe is uplifted, a heel tread engaging plate movable upward by theshoe, and means operated automatically by the shoe as the shoe reachessaid limit to lock the tread plate against further upward movement.

12. A heel breasting machine having, in combination, a breasting knifehaving a cutting stroke to a fixed point toward which the shoe isuplifted, a heel tread engaging plate movable upward by the shoe, meansfor jacking the shoe against said plate to clamp the heel for thebreasting operation and means operated automatically as the shoe shankreaches the limit of the knife stroke to arrest movement of the platewhereby the final jacking movement clamps the heel rigidly against theplate.

13. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a treadplate and a shoe lifting jack, of means to clamp positively.

heels of varying heights, said means being operated automatically byjacking each shoe up to the same position.

14:. A machine of. the class described having, in combination, abreasting knife, actu ating means therefor, a stop member 4-8 providedwith rack teeth, a floating pinion 44: meshing with said teeth, a treadplate slide 36 having rack teeth meshing with the pinion 44, a plate 30on said slide, and means 64 arranged to be set by movement of the pinionlat for limiting the movement of the plate 30 when both the plate 30 andthe stop member 48 are moved together.

15. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a breastingknife, actnating means therefor, a shank abutment 56, a heel treadabutment 30, a connection A l between the abutments permitting movementof either relatively to the other, and means cotiperating with saidconnection 44 for limiting movement of both abutments when they aremoved together.

16. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a knife,means for moving the knife to and from a fixed limit of movement, meanscontacting with the shoe shank, and operating mechanism connected withthe said shank contacting means for automatically limiting movement ofthe shoe heel relatively to the limit of the knife stroke irrespectivelyof the height of the heel.

17. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a knife,means for reciprocating the knife to and from a fixed limit of movement,a movable presser plate to contact with the tread face of the heelarranged to be moved by the pressure of the heel thereon, and meanspositioned by movement of the presser plate for arresting verticalmovement of the plate.

18. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a knife,means for reciprocating the knife vertically between fixed limits, avertically movable presser plate arranged to contact with the tread faceof the heel, means for elevating the shoe against the plate and theplate with the shoe, and means connected with the plate for arrestingmovement of the plate automatically in accordance with the height of theheel.

19. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a knife,means for reciprocating the knife between fixed limits of movement,means for raising and holding a shoe, means engaging the tread face ofthe heel and arranged to be raised thereby, and automatic means forlocking said means a ainst further movement when the shank of the shoeis at one limit of the knife stroke.

20. A machine of the class described having, in combination, areciprocating knife, a movable presser plate for engaging the heel andexerting yielding pressure thereon, locking means movable transverselyof the path of the plate, and means operated by contact with anotherportion of the shoe for rendering said locking means effective topositively hold the plate against movement by engagement with the heel.

21. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a breastingknife, a heel tread clamping element 30, a shank clamping element56 saidelements being disposed on opposite sides of the knife, a lockingelement 64E Which is positioned by relative movement of said shoeclamping element to rigidly hold said elements in operative positionagainst movement by the pressure of the shoe against them, and means forclamping the shoe against said shoe clamping elements to sustain itduring the action of the knife.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of tWo subscribing Witnesses.

EVERETT W. VARNEY.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR L. RUssELL, ELIZABETH G. COUPE.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Gommissioneri of Patents, Washington, D. G.

